Textile Fiber and its Properties

An overview on the primary and secondary properties of various fibers.

1. Textile Fiber and its Properties Mrs. SHAYESTHA FATHIMA Associate Professor Textile Science and Fashion Designing Dept. of Home Science JBAS College for Women Chennai

2. What is a textile fiber? Textile fiber can either be natural or synthetic which can be converted into yarns and then subsequently into fabric by weaving, knitting, and nonwoven. It is the smallest unit of textile production.

3. WHAT ARE PRIMARY PROPERTIES? Primary properties are essential properties which a particular fiber must possess in order to perform as a textile fiber. They are like the pre-requisites or mandatory properties that textile fibers should possess .

4. PRIMARY PROPERTIES LENGTH TO WIDTH RATIO TENACITY COHESIVENESS OR SPINNING QUALITY FLEXIBILITY UNIFORMITY

5. Length to width ratio Is the ratio between the length and breadth of a textile fiber. The textile fiber should be sufficiently long than its width. The minimum ratio is 1:100. This means that the measure of the length should be at least 100 times more than the measure of its width.

6. Length to width r atio of some textile fibers Fiber Length to width ratio Cotton 1400 Wool 8000 Flax 170 Silk 330000

7. Tenacity refers to the strength of the fiber. A fiber should have adequate strength so as to undergo the stress and strain encountered during yarn manufacturing processes. Every textile fiber possesses varying levels of strength. Some possess higher strength and some possess lower. Also the strength of textile fibers varies in the dry state and wet state. Tenacity

8. Tenacity of Some Common Fibers: Fiber Grams Per Denier Cotton 3.0 - 4.9 Jute 3.0 - 5.8 Flax 2.6 - 7.7 Silk 2.4 - 5.1 Wool 1.1 - 1.7

9. Spinning quality or Cohesiveness Spinning quality or Cohesiveness is the ability of the fibers to stick together during yarn manufacturing processes. Spinning quality refers to Filament fibers. Cohesiveness refers to Staple fibers.

10. Filament fibers are long fibers and are measured in kms or miles. Staple fibers are shorter fibers and are measured in cms or inches. Cotton Fiber Jute Fiber Silk Fiber

11. Cohesiveness Staple fibers exemplify cohesiveness or stickiness in different ways. Example: Cotton fibers exhibits its cohesiveness by its cross sectional structure. Its cross sectional structure is kidney shaped because of its convolutions, which are the indentations in the structure of the cotton fiber.

12. The kidney shaped structure of a cotton fiber enables it to adhere to or fit into another fiber, thus sticking together during yarn manufacturing. Kidney shape convolutions

13. The longitudinal structure of wool fiber has serrated edges resembling a pine tree. With the help of these serrations one fiber entangles into the other, thus sticking together during yarn manufacturing. serrations

14. Spinning quality In the case of filament fibers because of their long length they are spun into yarns by twisting or winding two or more filaments together. Example: Silk fibers are very long. The long length enables the twisting and spinning of these fibers.

15. s ericin Cross sectional and Longitudinal view of silk fiber Silk fiber has sericin , a gum like substance which aids in holding the fibers together during the spinning of these fibers.

16. Flexibility Flexibility is the ability of a fiber to bend without breaking during yarn manufacturing or during the regular wear and tear of the fabric in its end use. Textile fibers must be pliable, only then they can be spun with other fibers. Many substances in nature resemble fibrous forms, but cannot be practical textile fibers because they are stiff and brittle.

17. Uniformity To make a good quality yarn, every textile fiber must have uniformity in their properties. Synthetic fibers are far more uniform than natural fibers. Uniformity is inherently difficult to achieve in natural fibers. Thus natural fibers are blended to achieve uniformity.

18. What are Secondary properties? These are desired properties which a particular textile fiber might possess or not. Textile fibers might possess few of these properties and not necessarily all of them. Secondary properties increase the value of textile fibers in its intended use.

19. SECONDARY PROPERTIES Physical shape Lustre Specific gravity Elongation and Elastic recovery Moisture regain and Moisture content Resiliency Thermal behavior

20. Physical shape Physical shape comprises of the longitudinal and cross sectional structure of the textile fiber. Each textile fiber has its own physical shape. Natural fibers have surface irregularities while the shape of the synthetic fiber depends on the shape of the spinneret or mould through which it is extracted.

21. Cross sectional and Longitudinal view of Cotton fiber

22. Cross sectional and Longitudinal view of Silk fiber Cross sectional view of Synthetic fibers

23. Lustre Lustre is the shine or sheen of a textile fiber. Textile fibers can be shiny, moderately shiny or even dull. Example: Amongst natural fibers, Silk is shiny and lustrous. In synthetic fibers, Viscose rayon is very lustrous. Sometimes when shine is not desired in these fibers, it can be controlled using a delustrant , like titanium dioxide.

24. Lustre of a textile fiber very often depends on its physical shape. Silk has a smooth structure. When light falls on a smooth surface it reflects, hence silk looks shiny.

25. Whereas cotton has indentations or an irregular structure, hence when light falls on it breaks and does not reflect. Thus cotton looks dull.

26. Specific Gravity Specific gravity refers to the density of a fabric. Denser fabrics have more specific gravity than lighter fabrics. Cotton with a specific gravity of 1.54 is denser than silk with a specific gravity of 1.25.

27. Specific gravity of some common fibers Fiber Specific gravity Cotton 1.54 - 1.56 Flax 1.50 Jute 1.48 Silk 1.34 Wool 1.30 - 1.38 Viscose rayon 1.52 Nylon 1.14

28. Elongation The ability of a textile fiber to stretch when subjected to a force. This stretching is called as elongation or extension. Elongation is expressed as a percentage.

29. Elastic recovery Elastic recovery is the ability of a textile fiber to return to its original length after being elongated. If a fiber returns to its original length from a specified amount of elongation it is said to have 100% elastic recovery.

30. Moisture regain and Moisture content Textile fibers generally have some amount of moisture or water content in them. Fibers with good moisture regain and moisture content will accept dyes and chemicals more readily than fibers with low moisture regain and moisture content. Moisture content has a relation with fiber strength.

31. Resiliency Resiliency of a textile fiber is the ability to return back to its original shape after being crushed, compressed or deformed. Resiliency plays an important role in the crease recovery of a fabric.

32. Wool fiber has excellent resiliency. The inherent crimp in the wool fiber, acts like a coiled spring and bounces back to its original shape after the stress is released. Crimp of wool Resilience of wool

33. Thermal behavior Thermal behavior is the reaction of textile fibers to heat. Textile fibers should withstand temperatures used in processing. Flammability is an important aspect of thermal behavior of textile fibers. It is the ability of textile fibers to burn.

34. THANK YOU